Organic can feed the world

As we switch our focus for a while from problems to solutions, organic farming may seem an odd place to start.

But having enough to eat is a strategic requirement for any future business.

And farming is a business too.

So, with falling stocks of natural fertilisers, and escalating prices for the fossil fuels used to make artificial fertilisers and pesticides, can organic feed the world?

The often repeated conventional view is no. But this article, bang up to date, supported by links to detailed studies, shows it can.

Trials in 24 African countries have already more than doubled yields. Even higher yields are thought possible.

The key to this success seems to be a systemic/ecological approach: feeding the soil system, and using other synergistic approaches from ‘permaculture’ and ‘agroecology’. These methods also produce healthier food and are more resilient against drought.

The only barrier to implementation? We would need to shift away from large scale farming practices back to small-scale farming.